NEED TO CATCH up? TheJournal.ie brings you a round-up of today’s news.

IRELAND

Taoiseach Micheál Martin at a press briefing on 18 August. RTÉ RTÉ

• Social visits in houses are now limited to six people from outside the home while over 70s have been asked to limit interactions following recommendations from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).
• 190 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed today, along with one additional death.
• The median turnaround time from referral for a Covid-19 test to completion of contact tracing has risen to 2.83 days.
• Dublin Lord Mayor Hazel Chu has called on the public to be “anti-racist” and actively speak out against racism when they see it happen.
• The ban on a controversial tampon ad has been retained as the advertiser decided against seeking a review of the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland’s (ASAI) decision.
• Jobs in Marks & Spencers in the Republic of Ireland are not impacted by a wave of 7,000 cuts within the company in the UK.
• Dublin City Council has introduced 500 low-rate parking spaces for healthcare staff as months of free on-street parking near hospitals for staff come to an end.
• Correspondence sent by the public to Leo Varadkar at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic reveal childcare, employment, and speed of government response were among key concerns.
• A Status Yellow wind warning has been issued for the entire country from 9pm tomorrow and throughout Thursday.

WORLD

Michelle Obama spoke to Democrats at the party's virtual convention. CNP / ABACA CNP / ABACA / ABACA

#SURGE: South Korea has moved to ban large public gatherings in Seoul as infections in the capital city rise.

#HARASSMENT: Three producers on The Ellen Degeneres Show have “parted ways” from the talk show amid allegations of a toxic environment behind the scenes.

#TRIBUNAL A member of Hezbollah has been found guilty over the 2005 murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri at a tribunal in the Netherlands.

#BIDEN: Michelle Obama has asked Americans to “vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it” at the Democratic National Convention.

#NO COMPARISON: Prime Minister Jacinda Ahern has refuted US President Donald Trump’s statement that New Zealand was experiencing an out-of-control surge, saying that “New Zealand’s nine cases in a day does not compare to the United States’ tens of thousands”.

PARTING SHOT

A dolphin skeleton has been found washed up on the beach at Bantry Bay in West Cork.

Glengarriff Nature Reservation said the skeleton was around two metres long and appeared to match the skeleton of the common dolphin species.

We’re waiting with bated breath for confirmation the skeleton does not belong to a certain fun-guy.

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